1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to body garments and more particularly to an upper garment for patients.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous medical conditions require attachment of lines to patients' arms. Such lines include intravenous (“IV”) tubing, peripherally inserted central catheter (“PIC”, or “PICC”) lines, pulse-monitoring telemetry wiring, and the like. Frequently, it is necessary to attach such lines intermediately along a patient's arm; and it is frequently necessary, or at least desirable, to leave those lines attached to the patient's for an extended period of time.
For a patient who is wearing a long-sleeve shirt, in order to start an IV connection in the patient's arm, it is typically necessary either to remove the shirt entirely or, alternatively, to roll up the patient's sleeve, in order to expose the target connection area on the patient's arm. This can be difficult and/or uncomfortable for the patient, depending on, among other things, the design and fit of the sleeve, itself, as well as the condition of the patient.
For a patient who has initially rolled up a sleeve in order to expose an intermediate arm portion for connection of an IV line, the patient may be required to leave the sleeve rolled up after the line has been connected. This can be uncomfortable, inconvenient and impractical if the line is to remain connected to the patient's arm for a long period of time.
Similarly, for a patient who has initially removed a shirt in order to expose an intermediate arm portion for connection of an IV line, the patient may be required to leave the shirt off after the line has been connected. This, too, can be uncomfortable, inconvenient and impractical if the line is to remain connected to the patient's arm for a long period of time.
For a patient who already has a mid-arm PIC tap (i.e., without tubing connected thereto), it may be possible to put on, or take off, a long-sleeve shirt by gingerly and delicately pulling the sleeve over the PIC tap; but doing so can often be difficult, inconvenient, painful and/or dangerous.
Several upper garments have been proposed in the prior art for patients who have limited mobility, limited arm movement, or other medical conditions that make it difficult to put on or remove a long-sleeve garment.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,677,826, for example, discloses a shirt that is temporarily openable along its upper edge along the neckline, but is short-sleeved and cannot be donned by a patient already having a mid-arm IV connection.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,073,711 discloses a jacket having temporarily openable arm pits, but cannot be donned by a patient already having a mid-arm IV connection.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,736,900 discloses a hospital gown in which the front portion is separable from the back portion along each side, from the torso bottom, up to the arm pit, and from the arm pit to the distal end of the sleeve, but is short-sleeved, provides no covering for the wearer's forearm, and becomes completely detached/open on one side and one arm when separable portions separate.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,721,998 discloses a hospital scrub dress that is temporarily openable along its upper edge along the neckline, from the neck to the shoulder to the distal end of the sleeve, but is short-sleeved, cannot be donned as a pull-over garment by a patient already having a mid-arm IV connection, provides no covering for the wearer's forearm, and becomes completely detached/open on each arm when separable portions separate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,440 discloses a shirt (FIG. 4) for a handicapped person, in which the front and back torso portions are temporarily separable from via a slit on each side from the bottom of the torso, up to the arm pit and to the distal end of the sleeve; Velcro fasteners are used to reattach the front and back panels of the shirt together. However, the garment is short-sleeved, provides no covering for the wearer's forearm, and the patient's arm inherently comes completely out of the garment whenever separable sleeve portions fully separate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,644,589 discloses a shirt (FIGS. 1 & 2) for an arthritic person; the left and right halves of the torso portion are separable from the torso bottom up to the neck opening, and is closable using Velcro fasteners. However, the garment is sleeveless, provides no covering whatsoever for the wearer's arms.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,698,848 discloses a blouse for cardiac patients, having an openable front, and which uses Velcro fasteners for reattaching the front panel halves. However, the garment has short sleeves, cannot be donned by, or removed from, a patient already having a mid-arm IV connection, and provides no covering for the wearer's forearm.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,173 discloses a two-piece dignity gown that has front and back panels, which are attached to each other with Velcro. However, the garment has short sleeves, provides no covering for the wearer's forearm, and the patient's arm inherently comes completely out of the garment whenever separable sleeve portions fully separate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,159 discloses a hospital gown, in which the front and back torso portions are temporarily separable from via a slit on each side from the bottom of the torso, up to the arm pit and from the arm pit to the distal end of the sleeve. However, the garment has short sleeves, provides no covering for the wearer's forearm, and the patient's arm inherently comes completely out of the garment whenever separable sleeve portions fully separate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,097,535 discloses center-torso buttoned pajama shirt with sleeves that are separable (principally on their front/forward portions) for their entire length. However, the garment cannot be readily donned as a pull-over garment by a patient already having a mid-arm IV connection, and the patient's arm inherently comes completely out of the garment whenever separable sleeve portions fully separate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,258 discloses a hospital garment (FIG. 1) in which the top portion of the sleeve is temporarily separable from the shoulder to the distal end of the sleeve, but is short-sleeved and cannot be donned by, or removed from, a patient already having a mid-arm IV connection.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,583 discloses a vest that is temporarily openable on its side, from the arm hole to the waist; front and back panels are re-attachable by Velcro fastener. However, the garment is sleeveless and therefore provides no covering for the wearer's arm(s).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,466 discloses a sweatshirt-type garment for patients, wherein the front portion is temporarily separable from the back portion on one side, from the bottom of the torso up to the arm pit, and from the arm pit to the distal end of the sleeve. However, the patient's arm inherently comes completely out of the garment whenever the separable sleeve portion fully separates.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,123 discloses a single piece upper garment having, on one side, a torso and first sleeve that is temporarily separable from the bottom of the torso, up to the arm pit, and from the arm pit to the distal end of the sleeve; and, on the other side, has a second sleeve that is temporarily separable from the neck opening to the distal end of the sleeve. However, the garment has short sleeves, provides no covering for the wearer's forearm, and the patient's arm inherently comes completely out of the garment whenever separable sleeve portions fully separate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,126 discloses a patient garment that is temporarily openable from the bottom of the torso, up to the shoulder, and from the shoulder to the distal end of the sleeve.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,642,526 discloses a jump suit-type garment having a temporarily openable ventilation slit that extends from the upper portion of the torso, approximately through the arm pit, and terminates partway down the sleeve. However, the patient's arm inherently comes completely out of the garment whenever separable sleeve portions fully separate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,904 discloses a torso garment for a person with shoulder problems, wherein the front panel is temporarily separable from the back panel, from the bottom of the torso up to the arm pit. However, the garment is sleeveless, and therefore provides no covering for the wearer's forearm.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,119,270 discloses a jacket that is temporarily openable from the bottom front of the torso up to the arm pit, and from the arm pit to the distal end of the sleeve. However, the patient's arm inherently comes completely out of the garment whenever separable sleeve portions fully separate
U.S. Pat. No. 6,484,321 discloses a hospital gown in which a the top of a sleeve is temporarily openable from the shoulder to the distal end of the sleeve. However, this garment is short-sleeved, cannot be donned as a pull-over garment by a patient already having a mid-arm IV connection, provides no covering for the wearer's forearm, and the patient's arm inherently comes completely out of the garment whenever separable sleeve portions fully separate.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,647,552 discloses a medical dignity garment in which a sleeve is temporarily separable from the arm pit to the distal end of the sleeve. However, the patient's arm inherently comes completely out of the garment whenever separable sleeve portions fully separate.
In addition to the above-mentioned problems in the prior art, such patient garments generally do not have the look of “normal” casual wear (but instead typically have the look of “hospital wear”), are not comfortable for the wearer, often are not suitable for wearing outdoors, and are often difficult to put on and take off.
There is, then, a need for an upper body garment, for a patient having a mid-arm IV tube connection, that overcomes all of the above mentioned problems in the prior art.